Cleveland - Detroit : 9-2 Tigers

Too bad there is no such thing as a one inning rainout.  The Indians staked themselves to a 2-0 lead in the first and lost 9-2.  Jhonny Peralta hit a home run after a Casey Blake double, and Cleveland had two hits in the first inning.  When the game ended, they still had two hits.

In what could be considered a trifecta of anti-Cleveland sporting news, CC Sabathia won in his debut in Milwaukee, Matt Laporta sat around in Akronduring a rainout, and the Indians lost their ninth in a row.  Bing, bing, bing – thank you sir may I have another.

Justin Verlander recovered from a crappy first inning going seven strong. Jeremy Sowers recorded his fifth loss, now 0-5 on the year with a 7.81 ERA.

Remember when Indians starting pitching was the strong suit?  Seems like only yesterday the Tribe had the luxury of leaving Aaron Laffey in the minors.

Sabathia is traded.  Westbrook is on the DL.  Carmona? – DL.  Byrd is still looking for that 101^st win since June 6^th.  The double L’s – Lee and Laffey, are about all the Indians have left. 

The good news?  At some point Fausto Carmona will return.  The bad news?  Right now the only real chance of winning the Indians have is basically a 2 out of 5 shot; not good betting odds, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone else to bring up except oft-injured Miller.

Sowers did last five and two thirds, but gave up ten hits and six runs.  It all started in the third. With one out Ryan Raburn doubled, then scored on a Curtis Granderson single.  With two out, Marcus Thames doubled in Granderson, bringing up Miguel Cabrera.  He hit his first of two homeruns on the night, staking the Tigers to a 4-2 lead. 

That was the first of four Tiger homeruns. 

Thames homered in the fifth, scoring Placido Polanco and giving the giving Detroit a 6-2 lead. 

In the sixth, the Tigers scored another run via a single by Granderson, plating Renteria from second.  That was it for Sowers.

Slocum relieved, bailing Sowers from the jam, but gave up a pair of home runs in the seventh to Cabrera and Ivan Rodriguez and made it 9-2 Tigers.

Detroit ended the night with 13 hits, four of those tallied by Cabrera.

During the closing last night, Rick Manning was pointed out as being in the midst of the last Indians ten game losing streak way back in the late 70’s, a mark the Indians will try an avoid on Wednesday evening when they close their two game set with the Tigers.

Paul Byrd, 3-10 with a 5.53 ERA will go against Tigers’ righty Eddie Bonine.  Bonine is 2-1 with a 4.30 ERA.  Game time is 7:05.

With the loss, the Indians are 37-52, fifteen games back in the division.  They sit in last place – two games below the Kansas City Royals.  Only San Diego, Washington and Seattle have worse records than the Indians.